Norton Conyers

Norton Conyers, the home of Sir James and Lady Graham, has belonged to the Grahams since 1624, but goes back to much older times. It is best known from Charlotte Brontë's visit in 1839; she is said to have been inspired by a family legend to create the mad Mrs Rochester in Jane Eyre. The mid 18th-century walled garden stands near the house, and retains the essentials of its original design. Two paths meet at the central pleasure pavilion (open to visitors), with a little pond and a fountain before it. Wide herbaceous borders are flanked by high yew hedges. Other borders hold gold and silver plants, peonies and irises.